Fury of Cranes
by ChoNeun
Summary: The graceful majesty of a bird is only but a dim spark in comparison to its madness.
1. Can You Keep a Secret?

He was feeling sick lately. He needed to get out of Vegas. The cigarette between his lips wasn't much of a help these days. It was agitating the itch that he couldn't scratch. There was a world out there that he needed to see. He needed to get out there, but there were thousands and thousands of destinations. Right now, he only had eyes for one. His left eyebrow twitched; he raised his right hand to cover over his lips. The cigarette stuck out between his fingers. The lenses of his sunglasses glinted as a low flying plane passed in front of the sun. Smoke billowed out of his mouth as he pulled the cigarette away. Another person walked up behind him, arms crossed over her stomach.

"What's eatin' you, kid?" Sis asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Dane turned his body slightly, looking towards his sister. "Nothing." He turned away again. "Just thinking about getting out of here."

"Where ya goin'?"

"Houston, maybe."

"Ah, going to see those chucklenuts we call family?"

Dane sucked in a deep breath; the burning feel of smoke rushed into his body. He turned away from her and leaned against the chair again.

"Yeah... Maybe."

She let out a sigh and shook her head. Pushing away from the door, she dropped her arms as she walked back into the house.

"Well, no need to tell me. Get your shit packed."

Dane smirked a little, drawing the cigarette back up. "What, kicking me out already, Sis?"

She looked over her shoulder, a small smile playing on her lips. "I want you outta here by sundown tomorrow, ya hear?"

He couldn't see the smile, but he could hear it in her voice. A small noise escape him—satisfaction maybe. He took a long drag and then flicked the useless nub over the balcony. He didn't fret; it was going to fall on concrete anyway. If it fell in the rare patch of grass, he still wouldn't worry. Whatever, let it burn.

He had a suitcase and a carry-on filled with, well, _stuff_. He wasn't sure where he was going or why he needed four bags to get there. He flew all the way on Dumbfuck Airlines and made it to Texas barely alive. That was the last time he flew coach on a last-minute flight. He looked up to the sky as he stood outside at the passenger pick up. It was nice out. Thin clouds obscured the blue sky and floated about lazily. He let out a small "Hm" and looked down as a car pulled up slowly in front of him. A girl crossed his path and ran excitedly towards the car. She flung open the back door, threw her things inside, and slammed it closed before she repeated the process with the front passenger seat. He raised a brow as he watched the girl throw herself into the car. Her laughter rang in his ears until the car door slammed closed. Another scoff and he looked away, tilting his head up to see if there was a spot for him to smoke. A car horn blared. He raised his gaze up and looked towards the rude offender. Both brows lifted at the same time. Dave was sitting in the passenger window, his legs still inside the car. Bro had his upper body leaned out the driver's window. Dane stood right where he was.

"I know he sees us," Bro stated to his younger brother, staring at the other Strider male.

"Of course he does, the dickweed," Dave muttered, picking up and dropping his feet lazily on the passenger seat.

Bro and Dave raised their hands and cupped them over their mouth.

"Daney-baby!" they shouted as loudly as possible.

A few people turned towards their raised voices. Dane groaned and lowered his head, shaking it side to side. He muttered, "Fucking stupid" to himself as he grabbed his bags. He made his way over towards the stylish but dirty Mazda. Dave smirked and pat-slapped his twin in the shoulder. Dane sneered, and Bro opened up the trunk. Dane threw his things inside and closed it. He walked to the driver passenger side and got in. Dave slid back into the car. Bro sat up into a correct driving position. He started the car, and off they went.

"So what're you doin' in Texas, bro?" Dave asked, twisting around to look at the other Strider.

"Just trying to get away, you know." Dane quirked a brow and looked to the front passenger. "What of it?"

"Nothin'."

Dane looked away, turning his gaze to the outside, and sat in silence. Dave watched him for a little longer before he unbuckled his seatbelt. He climbed over the armrest and began to make his awkward crawl to the back seat.

"Dave, you little shit. Sit the fuck down when we're driving," Bro protested.

"One: fuck off," Dave groaned as he made his way beside his brother. "Two: you're driving, not the both of us."

With a final grunt, he plunked down beside his twin and stared at him. Dane turned his head and stared back at his other half.

"What?" he asked.

"You're being really weird."

"Says the asshole moving around in a moving car."

"That's not weird; that's reckless. Get your facts straight'."

"Put your seat belt on."

"Nah. I'm a rebel. Fuck the police."

"Put on your seat belt, jackass," Bro called from the front.

"Hey, stay out our conversation, dude."

Dane stared at his younger brother and then let out a sigh.

"I'll tell you when we get home," he grumbled.

"Sure, you will," Dave stated, tone dripping with sarcasm and disbelief, "but I'll just give you some _'friendly reminders'_ just in case you _'forget'_."

"Wow, talk about no faith in a guy."

Dave smirked and scooted over into the passenger seat, buckling up his seat belt. The trip would have been filled with silence until Bro remembered he had an FM transmitter for his radio. He plugged the end of the device into the cigarette lighter and changed the FM radio to an empty station. He rolled down all four windows, causing the younger two to look up.

"Dude, what the fuck?" they asked simultaneously.

A chuckle. "Nothin'."

The next thing to fill the air was the word "ass" repeated over and over again at different octaves. Dane quirked up his brow, having never this song before. Dave groaned, having heard this song too many times before. Bro let out a low laugh as he sped down the I-45 towards Houston.

"I'm taking away your fucking iPod; you know that right?" Dave threatened as they all trudged up the stairs of the complex.

"Who're you talking to? Did you forget that I'm the adult here?" Bro replied smugly.

Dave let out a snort and muttered something under his breath. Dane caught it but merely chuckled. Bro ignored them and unlocked the front door.

"I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back in two or three hours. You two know where everything is."

"Yeah," came the disinterested reply as the twins walked into the dimly light apartment.

"And Dane, keep him out of trouble."

"You got it." Dane raised a hand, making an 'OK' sign. Dave sneered at him.

"Oh shut up," Dave breathed, jumping over the couch to lie down.

Bro shook his head and closed the door. The lock clicked, and everything fell silent.

"So you gonna tell me now?" Dave asked, hands folded over his stomach.

Dane smoothed a hand down the front of his stomach. After a beat, he let out a deep sigh and raked his fingers through his hair.

"Shit, I need a smoke."

Dave turned awkwardly and looked up to his brother. "Dude, you alright?"

"Yeah," Dane reassured, taking a cigarette from the inside pocket of his jacket and lighting it. "Just let me get this started before..."

"Yeah." Dave nodded his head, understanding that his brother needed the break without really fully understanding the 'healing properties' of his habit.

"Thanks." And to himself, Dane thought, _'Sweet kid.'_ He'd have to call his brother that later. It would probably bother him.

Dane walked to the recliner and essentially dropped his weight down into the seat. He lit the cigarette and took in a deep breath. Relief guised as nicotine rushed into his body and caused him to relax. Dave stared up at the ceiling wondering what could be so important or stressful. He had gotten used to the fact that his brother was a smoker, but when it had turned into the situation of every time they were on Skype Dane was smoking, Dave was curious. Was everything okay with him and Sis?

"Dave."

Dave turned onto his stomach and looked towards the other male. "Yeah?"

"Have you ever thought about what it would be like to take flesh with steel? About..." He paused and looked out the window. He moved his hand idly in circles. The cigarette smoke made tiny incomplete shapes with the motion. "About the beauty of murder—homicide? The exhilaration of using our speed and talent to equalize the planet?"

Dave was legitimately shocked. "No! Dude. What?" He sat up, brows furrowed. "The fuck are you going on about?"

"Bummer." Dane brought the cigarette to his mouth. It sat comfortably in the crook of his index and middle fingers. "I was hoping you'd join me."

"In what?" He swallowed thickly, not really wanting to hear the answer.

Dane pulled the cigarette away and blew out a thicket of smoke. He tapped the cigarette and ashes lazily fell to the ground.

"In a little experiment."


	2. Let's Kill Tonight

Dave had heard wrong; he must have. The shock was playing with his hearing. His brother had said something else, and it was sending him into a tizzy. This was Grade A, black and white, Tinseltown freak out here, but he was keeping it together somehow. He was feeling something that reached down into his chest, clenched his heart, and squeezed it sporadically, leaving him breathless.

"What are you talking about?" he asked after a long moment of silence.

"What do you think?" Dane playfully quirked up his brow as though he were playing a game.

"If I knew that, do you think I would ask?"

"I dunno." Dane shrugged and leaned back, crossing his right leg over his left. He threw his arm back over the chair and pulled the cigarette towards his lips. "You can be a smart mouthed ass sometimes."

"Look who's talkin'."

Dane let out a small noise of amusement. Dave could see the faint smile without looking directly at his twin. But he didn't want to see him. He didn't want to see the smugness that was coming from the other Strider right now. Any sort of amusement made him uneasy in this case; this was serious, a very serious case. Dane was treating it like a joke, or really like it was something else.

"Alright so," Dave pushed the conversation forward, "what're we gonna do in this little 'experiment' of yours?"

"First, we're gonna go people watching—same as always." Dane pushed the smoke out of his nose. "And then we'll go from there."

The younger male scoffed. "You're telling me that you don't even have a plan?"

"Oh no, I have a plan. I said '_we'll_ go from there' though. That means you and me, if you decide to take this up that is."

"Say I don't."

"Then we won't talk about it."

"We can't just _not_ talk about it." Dave stood up quickly. He let out a frustrated scoff and decided that this conversation wasn't worth dealing with at the moment. "You want coffee or some shit? We have five day old pasta in the fridge if you want anything."

"Why don't you bastards ever go shopping?"

"He's stubborn as fuck, and I don't want to do it." Dave spun around slowly, facing the other male and crossed his arms over his chest. "So long as I don't want to do it, he's going to try to force me to at least do it _once_."

"You two are idiots."

"Hey. I'm not the one choosing to starve just to prove a point here."

"Then why don't you go shopping for food?"

Dave paused and stared at his twin. The silence lasted about five seconds.

"That's not the point," he retorted.

Dane laughed gently and tipped his head up towards the ceiling. "Oh right right, that's not the point." As he talked, smoke drifted out of his mouth.

Watching his brother, Dave was reminded of the mobsters from the overly action packed movies he used to watch. He turned around and began padding his way towards the kitchen. He looked around for something decent to drink out of. There was Bro's "Hard Boss" mug in the cabinet, but he didn't want to go anywhere near that thing for the sake of not knowing what a "hard boss" was. He didn't really want to know either. He reached past the lonesome white mug and began stacking the various red plastic cups that were slowly taking over the cupboard. As he stacked and pushed them aside, Dave found his favourite (or at least mostly used) clear tankard mug. Reaching for it didn't help and standing on his tiptoes only made the reach more uncomfortable. He came down, standing flat on his feet as he looked over his shoulder. Good, Dane could't see. He "assisted" a couple of smuppets off the counter and climbed on top. He grabbed the mug from its difficult to reach position and saw that there was an unsightly chip in it. He frowned. When the fuck did that happen? Bro probably did it. Maybe that was why it was in the back. That bastard. Well, at least it wasn't massive_._

With a sigh, he flashed over to the fridge and gripped its handle, ready to throw it open. That was until he remembered the sword trap. He wondered if it was still there. It had been years. Maybe Bro had given it a break. He pulled the door open with a flex of his fingers, and some long-buried senses spiked up at the almost inaudible sound of metal shifting. He flung open the fridge door and jumped into the air simultaneously. A dozen or so swords of all sharpened varieties jettisoned out of the refrigerator and flew across the room. Dane's head shot up at the sound of metal clanging to the floor. He stood up and moved toward the source only to find a small heap of random swords. Some had serrated edges; some had broken, jagged edges; and others looked as though they'd cut him if he kept staring any longer. He turned his head towards the kitchen wondering where all of these suddenly came from. That's when he remembered Dave's stories over Skype about a sword trap in the kitchen. Dane laughed it off as some bizarre thing of fantasy; only because he never thought he'd get to see it in action. He was half-right. He didn't see it in action, but he witnessed the end result.

Dave continued to pour himself something to drink as though nothing happened, even though he muttered that Bro needed to get some new hobbies. He deigned to venture at what kind the older Strider should get. He walked to the door and shoved it closed with his elbow and foot. Dane snorted and turned away, not wanting to ask if this is what the other blond had really been putting up with. For _years_.

"Hey, you wanna go smoke outside? I don't want Bro shitting everywhere when he comes home and smells that shit," Dave grumbled as he walked out of the kitchen with an abnormally coloured drink in his mug.

Dane eyed the drink. "The fuck is that?"

"Don't worry about it," Dave rumbled. "We're outta AJ, so this'll have to do."

"Yeah, if it don't kill you first."

"Bite me." Dave walked to the right of the TV and opened the balcony door. "Get your ass out here and smoke that shit. We need to let the living room air out."

The older twin gave out a short laugh. "Touchy, touchy. When did you become a housewife?" He joked as he walked towards and past his little brother.

"I swear to god, I'll pour this all over you."

"Yeah, I don't even know what that shit is. It looks like it burns to the touch."

Dave shrugged as Dane walked onto the balcony. "Probably." In spite of this, he still took a sip from his mug.

They sat down on the relatively new patio chairs and stared out at the bustling city. From their vantage point, the cars seemed so far away, and yet they seemed to be zooming by at a hundred miles an hour. Their conversation trailed along like every other. They talked about school, Bro and Sis, music, and pretty much any damn thing that didn't lead to Dane's underlying homicidal desires. _Alleged_ homicidal desires.

Dave caught that thought and scoffed, shaking his head. Dane stopped in the middle of his sentence and raised a brow.

"Something wrong?"

"Hmn?" Dave turned his attention back to his twin. "Oh, sorry. I zoned out for a bit. What's up?"

"Wow, way to tell a guy the date is boring," Dane joked, leaning back into his seat and once again looking out towards the stacks of apartments.

"You know you gotta spice it up with one of us, man. Sorry. No special treatment for you." He kicked his feet up onto the railing and looked skyward. "Anyway, keep talkin'."

They fell into a silence. Dave left for a moment. When he came back, Dane had another cigarette lit in his left hand. He sat down into his seat and set his mystery drink set onto his thigh. Dave's right hand rested over the mug's mouth, but his grip tightened the very second there was danger of spilling its contents. _'So how long are we not gonna talk about what we need to talk about?' _Dave thought to himself after a long while. He pulled his cup to his mouth and tipped his head back. The only time Dane moved was to draw the cigarette up and to lower it back down. There wasn't much movement or speech on his side. Dave wondered fleetingly what his brother was thinking. He let it go, not wanting to venture into that right now.

Time slipped away, and the sun was starting to come closer to the horizon. Dane let out a long stream of smoke as he flicked the cigarette away and over the edge.

"Nice place," he commented, crossing his legs at the ankles.

"Yeah, I know. Bro wanted to leave me stranded if I headed out for college."

"'If,'" Dane repeated without looking over to the other.

There was no question, just a statement.

"'If,''" Dave repeated, nodding his head slightly.

Dane chuckled. He had a reply but let it die on his tongue. He brought his hands together and scratched the back of his left hand with his right.

"What's awake at night—do you know?" he asked, tipping his head down and over towards his younger sibling.

The red-eyed twin let out a heavy sigh and hum in thought. "Clubs, and I think the park is open, a bar, maybe one or two diner restaurants, more bars..." He leaned his head back as he muttered out the list.

With a "Hm.", Dane turned his attention back to the skyline. "We'll go out there tonight. Ten o'clock."

"Out _where_?" Dave remarked incredulously. He prevented himself from scoffing but barely.

It wasn't that he had a curfew or anything. Bro gave that up years ago. He just didn't want to be out at night on a _Friday_ with all those crock-pots around. After all, the freaks come out at night. However, with a small, slow, _knowing_ smile, Dane just waved his hand, motioning towards the city of Houston. "Out _there_," he breathed out, almost dreamily. Dave found it a bit weird. The older twin let out a short laugh and then turned his contentment towards Dave, who wasn't feeling it one bit. Dane seemed set, and the conversation died with that statement. That was that. They were going out tonight.


	3. Cold Hearted

Bro didn't come home until about eight. He brought home an entire box and a half of Krystal along with a box of Dunkin Donuts. Both of the twins wondered what they did to be hated so much. When Bro replied wondering what they meant, they demanded Krispy Kreme over DD any day. Bro scoffed and told them to grow a set. They grumbled, but when Bro forked over a six back of Powerade and a double pack of king sized apple juice, the twins were stoically content. They holed up in Dave's room, and Dane immediately took refuge in the corner of the bed in the junction of the wall. Dave hung by the side, and they spread out their bounty. They were like two squirrels sharing the treasures of a theft.

Dave smoothed down the paper towel before taking two doughnuts from the box. Dane cracked open a Powerade and tipped the orange drink towards his lips.

"That the only kind you drink?" Dave asked, obviously meaning the colour or flavour of the water.

"It's the only kind he got." And the conversation died there.

The apartment was quiet aside from the distant hum and rattle of the fridge—which desperately needed to be replaced—and the faint music coming, possibly, from Bro's room. Dave looked over his shoulder to make sure he didn't leave his computer on. The monitor was off, but the control tower's power button was still blinking blue rhythmically. He flicked his eyes upward towards the ceiling, listening harder now that his focus was away from the device. No, it was definitely coming from Bro's room. Whatever it was, it was easy listening. The soft, lighthearted air of the music, from what he could tell, reminded him of an anime he watched with his oldest brother. It was actually really good. It had three main characters and something to do with _samurai._ **Bam!** The subwoofer kicked in out of nowhere, and the twins jolted up, almost jumping out of their skin. The sudden boom of the bass caused Dane to spill some of his drink, and Dave crushed a doughnut in his fingers. They exchanged a look as they brushed their dirtied spots off.

By the time ten o'clock rolled around, Bro was playing the smooth hip-hop again. The tunes were much more audible and were rolling off the walls as Dave jammed to the surround sound. He began humming to himself. The words that he formed to the beat were pretty good but not good enough to say them aloud. Dane had taken to laying down on the bed and sing-speaking whatever came to his mind. After a while, he trailed off into a "La la" sort of mode, and that was cool too. The older twin sat up, checked his watch and let out a groan.

"Alright, let's do this," he said. He let out a grunt of effort.

Dave swivelled around in his chair, looking towards the male on his bed. "Where are we goin'?" He wanted to see if he'd get a direct answer this time.

He did. "The park," replied the older Strider, dusting his pants off of crumbs. He walked over to his luggage bag and crouched down, unzipping the largest compartment.

There was no reply from his younger half. It went unnoticed. Red eyes watched the other blond from behind familiar aviators. Dane had pulled a case from his bag. Dave turned away, thinking it was another pack of cigarettes. He closed the few windows he had open and put the computer to sleep. He rarely shut it off these days. Dane stood and slipped the pack into his pocket. Wordlessly, the younger male walked around, taking his keys and wallet from wherever he found them. He stared down at the ground as he slid the items into his pockets just to make sure he didn't forget anything. He was sure he didn't.

"Let's rock and roll," he said as he reached for the doorknob.

"Alright," Dane drawled as he caught the door when it opened.

"Bro! We're leaving!"

"Going?" came the eldest Strider's voice over the music.

"The park."

"Don't get killed."

Dave squinted his eyes in the direction of Bro's room and made a face. Who even says that to people?

"Whatever," he retorted, turning towards the door. As he walked by the couch, he leaned over the back and snagged his phone from the seat. Dane followed behind silently. They exited the apartment and walked down the stairs towards their destination.

The night air was crisp, and the wind blew gently across their skin. The street lamps started to thin out as they came closer to the park. It was a twenty-minute walk by foot, but they made it there in ten—less than ten. More like eight

_seconds_.

Dane walked over to a tire swing and grabbed the chain curiously. Did people still do these things? He read about them, and he had seen one once in Fresno. That was a weekend trip he would never forget. Dave walked past and looked around. It was dark, and no one was really around. A chill suddenly passed through him so hard he thought he could see his breath if he breathed hard enough. He wasn't going to do that. Instead, he faced his twin who had walked towards a bench. Dave followed, keeping his head down. It was starting to creep up on him. Just how long _were_ they not going to talk about what they now _needed_ to talk about? He wanted to know, but he'd be damned if he went after the answer. For now, Dane was in control of this cult party. Whatever it was.

Dane had settled down on the bench and kicked his leg up, resting his ankle on his left knee. The pack was in his hand, and he tapped its bottom against his upraised right thigh. Dave looked up just in time to see a woman almost morph out of the shadows as she jogged behind Dane. The younger twin wasn't near the bench as the two talked, and she motioned towards his pack, probably asking for a cigarette. Even from his distance, Dave could hear the chuckle come out of his-but-not-really-his face. Dane's laugh was sincere and brief, but there was always that underlying evilness to it. Always. Not just the mocking, "got your goat" type of laugh that they shared in whenever they were being snarky together. He shook his head and looked away from his brother and the woman. He idly kicked a rock, which turned out to be a dirt clod. Pressing his foot into the clot, he continued to step out each lump until it was flat in the ground. Now he wanted to find another one. His eyes were searching the ground when he heard someone walking toward him. "Let's move to another spot," Dane said as he slid passed, heading towards the nature trail. Dave stirred and followed. He'd have to play his game some other time.

He was starting to notice a pattern. Dane would find somewhere to sit—a bench, a half wall, a tree stump—and cross his legs, and someone would magically come up to him. Of course, this wasn't before the "cigarette" pack was tapped against his leg. Right thigh, he was starting to notice that too. He felt like Sherlock Holmes. After the second chance encounter and switching locations, Dave started to become more aware of his surroundings. He noticed that there were people there, but they were all distant. The closest ones to their newest location next to the rock formation was a woman walking her dog, a portly young boy who probably should have been at home, and a homeless man who constantly asked him for change. Dave saw him four times in the past six days, and the man still didn't know who he was. _'Put 'im in a home,'_ he thought snappily to himself. Okay, that was kind of rude, but he was getting tired of playing the not-so-private investigator.

Dane was sitting on a bench, and Dave had walked around for a bit. He stopped by a lamppost. He rubbed his face and heard Dane's laugh again. Someone had walked by but who? Dave was willing to bet five dollars it was either the woman with her dog or the portly boy. It was neither. It was a shapely man who seemed to have more time on his hands than anything. Well, there went five bucks. The newcomer seemed well-to-do, _snobbish_ almost. The way he had a little half smile at everything Dane said was making the younger Strider want to act out. The man looked a lot like his principal Dr. Robinovski. Doctor—always had to be Doctor. The man was teaching twelve years now at the College Arts Theatre. What a world. His idle musings were taking him away from his plot point: Dane and this mystery man/Dr. Doppelganger. The real-fictional Sherlock Holmes would have been disappointed. Whatever.

Dane offered the pack and was bringing it back down when whatever was inside had been taken by the man. Dr. Doppelganger didn't pull the item into view. Dave bit down on the inside of his mouth to keep from swearing, but his mind was going a mile a minute in his head. Finally, the Doctor gave a two-finger salute and walked off into the shadows of the park. This was all starting to get really creepy, and Dave wanted to go home. There he could talk with his twin. Who cares if Bro heard or not—though Dave sincerely hoped he wouldn't. He walked over to the bench and sat down next to his brother. There was silence. They sat in the dark and gazed up at the sky. Dave could barely make out the stars above him, but they were there, blinking down at him. Peaceful things, stars were.

"They're all pigs, you know."

The tone was smooth, calm, and rather _deep_. Dave chanced a glance over to his brother. He saw that Dane had thrown his arms over the back of the bench and that he was also staring up at the sky. There was a left curved smirk on his face. Fuck, Dane "smiled" to the right.

"Not the first woman, I think there's something good about her, but those other guys, they were the worst we'll see tonight," he said as he slid the pack into the inside pocket of his blazer.

Dave watched. "They're just out here to enjoy the park. Just like you and me."

"Yeah, but did you see how they talked to me?"

Dave could honestly say that he didn't. Could but didn't. Besides, Dane's tone sounded distant, as though he were talking through a haze.

"They're all alike regardless of how they try not to be the same. You can sense sincerity a mile away in the dark."

"Dude, what are you talking about?"

"Hmn?"

Dane turned his head towards Dave, and the park lamppost caught onto his aviators so perfectly. The light reflected off the protective tint of the eyewear; Dave suppressed a shudder. It was eerie, and it made him feel cold. Was he overreacting? He'd revise the situation and pitch it to Bro tomorrow. Make it sound like a scathing satire towards a made-up individual. That was the best plan. Dane stared at his twin for less than a second before he laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry, man. I forgot you were here."

He reached over and patted Dave's leg before standing and suggesting they go home. There was honesty in Dane's little tirade, honesty and perhaps exasperation for all of them. Everyone except the woman at least.

There was something seriously wrong with his brother.


	4. Crazy He Calls Me

They got back home at eleven-fifteen, and the smooth beats were still playing. It had turned to soft jazz. Bro must have fallen asleep. The twins gathered more food from the kitchen and went right back to their room. The door couldn't lock, but it was closed. The two went back to the positions they took earlier in the day. Dane tried to strike up conversation on some random events. Dave just wasn't part of it. His mind wasn't there. He had shut down again.

"Hey," Dane began, reaching forward and pushing his younger brother by his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm chill," Dave lied. "At least right now," he corrected. "I was hungry as fuck."

Dane snorted. "Don't I know it? I was hungry too."

"Well chow down an' stop talkin'."

"Tou-chy."

Dave rolled his eyes but managed to buy himself some time while he collected his thoughts. He didn't really need much time to collect his thoughts, more to _disperse_ them. They were clouding around like crazy. His thoughts were some crazed college girls, and his mind was TRL. Spitting humour kept him sane, even if it was all mental, and that's all he needed. Add a few off collar jokes and he'd be set, but Bro was sleeping. He had to take his chances with his twin brother. While he chewed, Dave reached up and slid the shades off his head. Dane watched curiously.

"Tell me what's really going on here," Dave stated through a sigh. He was tired now, seriously. "What is this game you're playing, and why are you so hell-bent on getting me to join?"

Dane was quiet for a few seconds until he said, "Alright" and removed his shades.

"You want me to tell you?" he continued. "I guess I will; I was going to wait until after tomorrow, but—"

"No," Dave said firmly. "No, man. No waiting, no planning. Cut the shit, and just lay it out for me. What's on and crackin' in that mind of yours?"

Dane's head was tipped down before he spoke. "I want to kill everyone."

"That's it?" Dave managed to sound unfazed.

"That's it."

"No particular reason?"

"No, there's a reason."

"Oh?" _Oh, _of course_ there's a reason_.

"I don't like the thought of some people breathing. I want to feel them choke right under my hands. It's sick really—yeah, I know—but the feeling has been building for a while."

"How long's 'a while'?"

"Two... three years?"

"_Years_?" Dave shook his head and placed his hand against his face.

"You wanna know what triggered it?"

"Yeah, and _please_ don't say some bullshit like 'It was you'."

There was a pointed silence.

"Oh, come on!" Dave almost shouted.

Dane smirked, on his left side. "Just kiddin'." He shifted his body so he was comfortable. "I kept having nightmares, and I don't know where they would come from. Sometimes, they'd be simple like me getting chased, but they started to escalate into something serious. I told Sis, and she didn't want to take me to the doctor."

"Why?" Dane asked, scrunching up his nose.

"She didn't think I was 'sick'. Besides, she helped me vent out those feelings. We strifed more, cut back on certain foods throughout the day, took walks—we had a totally _zen_ lifestyle going on down there for about a month." He paused to scratch the underside of his jaw. "Then the nightmares came back after about the second. We went to a doctor, and he said I was mentally fine. I just needed to reduce my stressors."

Dave slouched forward, hands resting just against the heel of his feet as he relaxed. "So what'd you do?"

"Not a lot. There wasn't much to do left, and after a point, I would have been Amish," They shared an innocent laugh, "but I really didn't do much else. The nightmares were still coming, and soon, they just stopped affecting me. One day, I just stopped being scared, and that's when I started analyzing them. I kept a journal for a while of all the dreams I had and kept having. Burned it last week, but when I took in the fact that my nightmares didn't scare me anymore, I started to have dreams where I was in control, and it was just... powerful."

Dave wasn't sure what to say or if he was supposed to give some sort of dejected or disgusted look to his twin brother. Dane had managed to own nightmares. In a way, that was cool, but it was also a little horrifying. He looked away and shook his head slowly. He opened a bag of chips and leaned down to open up a chilled king size apple juice. The other was in the fridge. The bottle in his hands had a refreshing chill to him and alerted him that his body was increasingly warm—hot, really. Red irises found the floor and stayed focused on the champagne carpeting. Bright orange eyes stared at the younger blond, waiting for a verbal response. He knew that Dave wasn't going to be comfortable with it, but he wanted to be able to persuade him somehow. That was his bro, his little brother. He wanted Dave's help. It would be a bonding experience—gruesome, yes, but very needed, Dane felt.

He had cracked open another Powerade and was enjoying its warm contents. It was bland tasting, but he didn't seem to mind. His thoughts were on something else entirely. The silence between them that was only filled by the sound of their shifts and eating; any movements were soon paused when Dave spoke rather abruptly.

"You decide who you're going to kill yet?"

"No," Dane admitted, "but if I go back home anytime soon, I might have a few ideas."

Dave raised a brow and rolled his eyes closed. "You know it's going to be hard covering the bodies."

"I know," Dane's voice had a lilt of mirth. Dave side glanced over to his twin, "but that won't be the hardest part."

"It won't?" the younger male asked warily. He liked this side of Dane less and less.

Dane shook his head slowly, a right-side smile on his face; he gave a playful shrug of his shoulders. "No."

It was at that moment that Dave decided to ask something stupid.

"What if I tell Bro?"

Dane focused on his little brother; there was a daring edge in his voice as he said, "Go tell and find out."

Dave looked towards his closet and raised his apple juice to his mouth. "Nah, that's okay."

"Good." The unsettling mirth slipped out of Dane's voice and was replaced by the lazy drawl Dave was oh so familiar with.

The younger Strider took a hard gulp of apple juice as he wondered what he was getting into. He stood up, announcing that he was going to take a shower. He joked to Dane not dissect any of his things while he was away. A small part of him was serious, more so than usual. He grabbed his still good towel out of the closet, grabbed what he figured to be a good set of boxers from the floor, and walked into the hallway. Bro had strolled by whistling to himself with a drink in his hand, and he nodded to Dave. The younger Strider barely gave a nod back, and Bro spun around as he passed by.

"Somethin' wrong?"

_ "Yes." _"No," Dave lied, tossing the towel over his shoulder as he looked back towards Dirk. "Just goin' to take a shower."

"You're gonna have to wait in line after Lil' Cal," Bro replied, taking a drink of whatever was in that can.

"Shit's not funny, Bro." Dave let out a sigh. He was mostly serious through the deadpan reply, but he was glad to have something close to normalcy in this house.

He turned lazily on his heel. Bro gave a small smile and shrugged, turning away and heading back to his room. Dave walked into the bathroom and flicked on the lights. He walked over to the shower and made sure that Lil' Cal wasn't in there. Of course he wasn't; Bro was just jerking around, but it never hurt to double check. _Never_. He turned on the water; the hot water nearly seared the back of his hand before he could pull it away. The tap was working extra fast tonight. It usually didn't go from zero to hell in under ten seconds. He leaned forward, face nearly touching the stream of flaming hot water, as he turned on the cold water. The stream began to even out to his liking, and he stepped away. He made his way over to the mirror and realized that he didn't have his shades on. Shit, he forgot. That was one of the house rules, but Bro was getting more and more lax on that rule as the years went by. Dave figured it had something to do with maturity and the responsibility to choose. It seemed like an Obi Wan Kenobi thing that Bro would do. Shrugging it off and undressing, Dave jumped into the shower to wash off all the crazy that was starting to seep into his skin.

Dane was left to his own devices when his younger brother had left the room. There was a knock on the door before Bro appeared beside him, sitting on the bed and drinking leisurely. Dane focused on his oldest sibling curiously. Bro sipped from his can, focus set forward on the wall ahead.

"Why aren't y'all wearin' your glasses?" the oldest Strider asked.

Dane shrugged. "Just needed to get comfortable."

"At least move them off the bed. I know you two asses like to fight sometimes."

A chuckle. "Sometimes."

Bro twisted his body to collect the shades and handed them off to Dane who set them on the side table. They returned to their positions of staring at the opposite wall.

"Sis treatin' you well over there?"

"Well enough. She at least warns me when she's leaving the house now."

"She come back any sooner?"

"Midnight sometimes, but she's usually home at eleven."

"Where does she work again?"

Dane snorted. "What're you askin' me for? I'm not her caretaker."

"Yeah, you sure act like it sometimes," Bro commented as he drew the can up to his lips. "Or you used to." He took a sip and held it out towards Dane. "Want some?"

"What is it?"

"Try it."

"Trying to get me drunk?"

"Stop bein' a pansy."

"Dude, underage drinking. Don't you know there are laws against that, dickweed?"

"My house. No cops. My rules. Drink the damn can, smart ass."

"You're the kinda guy they warn us against growing up."

This made Bro laugh suddenly, briefly. He nodded, conceding a victory over to the little man. He shook his head, shoulders still moving with a silent laugh. "Funny," he muttered to himself before he took another drink. Dane chanced to look closer at the can. It was coloured with some obnoxious tones: aqua, sea foam, yellow, and pink. He couldn't read the brand name, but he was curious.

"What is that anyway?" he mumbled, tipping his head forward to try and read.

Bro stood up. "Four Lokos."

"You _were_ tryin' to get me drunk!"

The older male shrugged. "Whatever."

He gave a lazy half wave as he disappeared from the room; the door closed behind him. Dane watched with a small smile, which slowly disappeared as he returned back to his neutral state. He looked around the messy room and wondered how Dave could even stand to live in it. He wasn't clean himself, but damn. At least he wasn't _junky,_ not like this. He stood up and started kicking things into a pile away from the bed. There was no way he was going to trip over this shit at night. Believe that. When he had a good pile, he looked towards the computer set-up and made his way over. He sat down in Dave's comfy chair and stared at his reflection in the dark monitor surface. He raised his hand up to jostle the mouse but lowered it as he focused on his opaque self.

His lips were curved upward slightly, but he couldn't feel the pull of muscle. He reached up and touched his face, fingertips trailing over his skin. Reality seemed to set in on him, and he became completely self-aware. He could feel and hear everything, and nothing felt real. Everything felt like a dream. It always felt like that. Caught between waiting for something to wake him or to kill him, Dane decided to take it all into his own hands. The smile on his face didn't seem anything like his, but it was okay. Soon, he would own that too, and it _would_ be his. A scent wafted into the room; it smelt like vanilla, baby powder and...perfume. He closed his eyes as he identified the different smells and raised both of his brows. This was different. He opened his eyes and looked around for the source. It was either coming from outside the door or outside the window. There was no way he was going to get up and find out. Turning back towards the computer monitor, he moved the mouse and revealed the desktop. More junk and clutter. He scoffed. _Of course._ Leaning forward, Dane rested his head against his left hand and navigated around with the mouse. He began to play around on Dave's desktop. Soon, his twin would have an organized desktop, and that wasn't the only thing in his life that needed to be straightened out. A crooked half smile took over his lips.

_Count on it_.


	5. The Final Countdown

Dane was still on the computer when Dave walked in. The younger male had a towel on his head and around his waist. The oldest of the two watched in the computer monitor as his brother trudged over to the bed and sat down. The silence was thick but comfortable. Dave took in an audible breath and let it out just as loudly. Dane went back to his business.

"You know in Vegas, we have to pay to get this kind of show."

Dave scoffed. "You're lucky I like you, kid. Free show, on the house." He looked up towards the orange-eyed twin. "Don't go tellin' your friends though."

Dane's upper body bounced slightly with a laugh. A smile tugged weakly at Dave's lips but died before becoming the real thing. Tragic. Dave gripped the towel on his head lazily. He smoothed his fingers up to the crown of his head as he began drying.

"I thought about it," he piped up, " and I'm not buying it."

"Buying what?" Dane asked, his tone devoid of interest.

"Whatever story you're sellin', bro. Ain't no way you're diving off the deep end."

With a deep sigh, the older blond sat back and slowly turned the chair around. "Wow, denial runs deep in this famil—"

"Because if you are," Dave snapped suddenly, appearing right in front of his older brother, face inches apart as he stared down into the orange hues, "I'm gonna have to stop you before you can get this crazy train started."

"And how do you plan on doin' that, Dave?" Dane shot back with a smile on his face.

The corner of his lip twitched in irritation. He wasn't expecting defiance. Why he wasn't completely eluded him at the moment. "You gonna try and fight me? I wouldn't dare if _I_ were you," he continued, looking up into the red irises. "You couldn't—"

"And what the hell makes you think I can't?" Dave leaned closer slowly, closing the gap as he clenched the arm rests tightly. Their foreheads were nearly touching

Dane chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly. "Not strong enough, kid."

Dave tore down the towel from his head, sitting up quickly. "That's it."

To any ordinary person, the twins were a complete blur of shadows before the towel even hit the floor. After Dave had ripped off the towel, he took a swing at his brother, who tipped his head to the right and let the punch hit the back of the chair. Dane raised a foot up and kicked the younger blond in the stomach; Dave slid back and looked up just in time to see his brother coming at him. He hit the ground and rolled out of the way; Dane leaned down to grab the other male's leg and instead grabbed the towel. It came off the pale blond's body, and Dane cast it aside. Dave had boxers underneath, a practice he had picked up years ago, and reached forward, picking up pants as he scrambled into a standing position. He hurriedly slipped on the pants while running forward, and Dane appeared in front of him, pushing him backwards. The younger Strider hit the ground and rolled backwards past his turntables. He reached up for balance and ended up pulling his red tee off its surface. That'll work. He sat up in a kneeling position, pulling the shirt over his damp hair, and Dane was in front of him again when he looked up. This time he was ready. He lurched forward and grabbed the older blond around his middle, tackling him down to the floor. Dane hit the ground hard, and the added weight of his brother caused him to groan.

Not to be deterred, he reached up and slid his fingers into Dave's hair. He gripped tightly, lowering the blond's head down as he sat up suddenly and slammed his head into the other male's. Dave hissed in pain as he arched backwards. Dane's hands slipped out of his hair, but they moved down to clench onto the red fabric. He drew his legs up to his chest, placing his feet against Dave's stomach. With a grunt, he lifted Dave's body up and over his head, causing the younger blond to land on the floor. The thud echoed in the quiet room. Pain racked through Dave's chest as he felt his back go numb. His eyes had closed involuntarily, but he opened them feeling weight shift over his body. Dane had rolled backwards and sat on his twin's stomach. Without hesitation, he drew his fist back, and the door flung open.

"The _fuck_ is going on in here?" Bro's voice boomed before he looked down to the two brothers.

He took all of a second to analyse the situation. Both boys were staring up at their older brother. Dave's face was contorted in pain and anger, and Dane just looked livid. Seeing this, Bro stepped forward, grabbed Dane by the back of his shirt, and hoisted him off his brother.

"Time to cool off," he declared flatly as he lifted Dane onto his shoulder.

"Put me down," Dane quipped sharply.

"Don't even try that with me," was all Bro said as he walked out of the room and slammed the door closed.

Dave sat up slowly and placed his hand on his stomach. Dane's bony butt landing on his torso hurt double what it should've. His spine was killing him. Dave squinted at the door, half expecting Bro to bust in again. After a couple of seconds, he groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, crawling towards his bed. When he was close enough, he reached forward and grabbed his apple juice—sweet, warm apple juice. That would cure him. He sat up and turned against the bed, leaning against the side as he drank from the bottle.

The remaining pain dimmed, and his body was taken over by a uniform numbness. The silence was heavy in his ears, and his heart was beating rapidly in his chest. The warm numbness turned into hot anger as he started to think about how everything started. He took several deep breaths, trying to regulate his heartbeat. Instead, he made himself light-headed. Raising a hand to his forehead, Dave closed his eyes. His lips were tight with a frown. The door opened again, and someone walked in. Dave lowered his hand and raised the bottle. Looking up, he saw Bro staring down at him. He looked away, knowing what he was going to say or ask.

Bro didn't do anything at first. He slowly walked over to the wheeling swivel chair. He moved it over towards his youngest sibling and turned it to face the blond. He sat down slowly and leaned forward, elbows resting on his thighs and hands between his legs.

"What happened?" he asked calmly.

"I—"

Bro raised a hand, cutting him off. "Why did you hit your brother?"

Dave grumbled to himself as he took another sip of his drink. "He was talkin' nonsense, man."

"Like what?"

A sigh. "Never mind. It doesn't matter."

"Dave."

"Forget it, man! I don't want to talk about it." Dave stood up suddenly, a really bad idea. Wincing, he snapped out, "If you want to know about all the freaky shit he's up to, you _ask him_! I'm nothing like _him_, so just leave _me_ alone."

Bro tilted his head up as Dave stood. "Fine," he said after a moment, standing up himself.

"No. Shit. Bro. I—" Dave covered his face, pressing his nose between both hands. He held his bottle with his thumb and index fingers. He took a moment to collect himself and finally sighed. "Just talk with him. Seriously. He's weirdin' me out."

Bro gazed at his brother quietly. "Alright."

The oldest Strider walked out of the bedroom as silently as he came. Dave let out a deep sigh and sank down onto the bed. He wasn't sure what was going on. He just wanted his brother back.

Bro walked back into the living room, scratching the back of his neck. He glanced up to Dane, who was sitting on the couch. He sat down and rubbed his thighs idly.

"I don't want to talk about it," Dane said dryly.

"Well someone better start before I raise hell in here."

Dane rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't get it. Leave it alone."

"This isn't one of your pre-teen issues spiking up again, is it? Because if it is, we're going to cut that shit right here."

"It's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

The two males exchanged replies with thinly veiled irritation. Bro usually wasn't quick to serious anger unless it came to shenanigans around the apartment. Even then, he was the voice of reason, most of the time anyway. Right now, he was trying to play the neutral party, unable to figure out what was going on between the two brothers.

"Why's Dave worried about you?"

"Why _is_ he?"

"Don't be a smart ass and talk to me."

"I am talking to you."

Bro tipped his head down and looked over to Dane, who side glanced over to the older blond. He saw the dull orange hues staring back at him, and he felt the quiet reprimanding that Bro had to give. He looked away.

"Whatever it is, you two had better figure something out. I refuse to have you two fighting like this the whole time. If somethin' breaks, ya both fixin' it. If you gotta duke it out," He paused. "Don't duke it out. Talk to each other. Shit." He stood up and walked away, scratching his back. "You little fuckers better not mess up my apartment. Oh, and Dane."

Dane looked up as Bro turned back to look at him.

"You better not be getting yourself into any trouble."

Dane looked away and moved his jaw side to side as he bit down on the inside of his bottom lip. "... Yessir..."

That was one of the few times Bro ever took that sort of authority with him, and he didn't like it. How could Bro just wander in and try to put his foot down while being completely unaware of the situation at hand? Dane scoffed. _'What a dick,'_ he thought. He clasped his hands together and held them tightly.

Bro walked to Dave's room and opened the door. "You okay, kiddo?" He paused and walked over to his kid brother. Dave had his head in his hands, and his shoulders were shaking. The older blond sat down and placed his hand on his little brother's back.

"There's something wrong with him, man. There really is."

The younger blond sounded distressed and torn but not like he was crying. It was a weird emotional-to-physical display, and Bro wasn't sure what to make of it.

"It's alright, kid. I'll figure something out."

Bro looked towards the door as though gazing out to where Dane was without actually seeing him. He frowned deeply. Things were very wrong here, and he was going to figure out what.


	6. Twin Souls

Sleeping was rather awkward. The twins stayed up way past midnight and actually fell asleep ten minutes after lying down on the bed. They laid back to back in silence, staring off in the darkness at different things. They grumbled their good nights and tried to fall asleep. Dane had another dreamless night, and Dave had one for the first time in a long time. They woke up at the same time at ten past ten. The younger twin went to the computer, while the oldest grabbed something to eat. Bro came into the room at eleven-fifteen to tell them he was going out to handle some work and pick up things. Dave provided a witty comment and was rewarded with smuppet ass to the face. Again, things like they were going back to normal. The twins raced out of the bedroom and fought over who got the shower first. Dane won and took his precious time getting clean. Thankfully, the tap still pushed out hot water when Dave got his hands on it. Everything was hot in Houston. For once, he was thankful for that.

"Want to go out?" Dane pitched the idea, looking out the window.

Dave let out a thoughtful hum before shrugging up both shoulders. "Sure, let's go. Got any money?"

"Who do you think you're talkin' to?"

"A punk ass." He chuckled. He stood up from his computer. "Let me get my stuff."

"Aight."

The twins putted around, grabbing whatever they needed before heading out. Dave grabbed his phone and tossed Dane his. The younger blond picked at the peeling speaker piece at the top of his bar phone. It was time for an upgrade, he reasoned, but he didn't feel like buying one. This one still worked well. So long as he didn't call anyone or text pictures. Alright, _if_ he passed a phone store, he would consider an upgrade. For now, it was just good to get out.

The city was actually nice this time of day. The streets were busy with cars, and girls were walking around in their summer wear. The boys took a moment to appreciate the choice asses that walked by before elbowing each other knowingly. They passed a few stores before actually going into one. There was advertising everywhere about ice cream and some modelling opportunity. Dave joked that they should join in on the modelling gig, but Dane looked like he was considering it. They picked up some sleeveless shirts and chain necklaces; Dane bought a watch before they left. It was a pretty average day. The younger male looked over to his brother and briefly wondered if yesterday was just a brief crack trip. Dane adjusted his shades, and Dave looked away.

"Where to now? Feel like getting something to eat?"

Dave looked around and let out a hum of thought. "Meh, why not. More interested in getting something to drink."

"Yeah me too." Dane pointed to an outside set of chairs in a small-gated area. "Hey, let's kick it over here."

"Dude, that's Starbucks."

"Yeah, I'm jacking their Wi-Fi."

"Don't we have to buy something first?"

Dane pulled out his wallet and slapped a five-dollar bill into Dave's hand.

"Here. Get yourself somethin' nice."

Dave rolled his eyes as they walked into the gated sitting area. "I'll try not to spend it all in one place."

"Bring me back my change," Dane said as he sat down.

While Dave went inside to get some overpriced refreshments, Dane propped his left elbow on the armrest and draped his hand over his mouth. Behind his tinted aviators, he watched people walk by. He watched the way they talked and carried themselves. His lips slowly moved down into a frown. Something about them upset him. Something deep within him was unsatisfied by their existence. Dane let out a huff of laughter and kept his gaze focused on the creatures before him. Not too long after the realization, items settled down beside him, and he turned his attention to them. He reached over and grabbed a can. Starbucks Refreshers, it read and looked over its orange surface. Dave had grabbed a red one.

"It was either this or hot chocolate. This place is too ritzy-prissy for me," Dave mumbled as he popped the tab on his drink. "Can we hurry up and get out of here?"

"Shaddup and act cultured for once."

Dave made a face as he choked down his drink. "For why?"

Dane rolled his eyes and turned towards his brother. "Gimme a pen."

The younger blond was sure he didn't have one, but he searched anyway. He looked over his shoulder towards a woman at her laptop and asked her for one. She handed it over without looking at him. Dave handed it over to Dane, who took the receipt and started writing on the back. "Cool, let's go," he said after a moment. He stood up and grabbed his bag. He walked over to the woman, handing her back her pen, and Dave picked up their drinks. They joined the pedestrians on the sidewalk and continued their walk around. Dave pointed out a few places he had been to and gave his opinion on them. All of which ranged from "sucks ass" to "sucks major ass". Dane just chuckled and mentioned a few places in Vegas he had the same sentiments on.

After about an hour on foot, they found the mall and decided to walk in. The temperature change was sudden but welcome, and after taking the escalator down to the first floor, they found different shops they wanted to go in. They split up, and Dave caved in. He was overdue for an upgrade by some three or four years. The shopkeep was amazed he held onto his rickety phone for so long.

"I'm a survivalist," Dave bragged, joking as he mentally calculated how much money Bro gave him on his card. Enough, he figured, for a new phone. There was something called the iPhone SHARP, and it intrigued Dave because it was a flip phone. It seemed like a step back and sideways from all current efforts. He examined it carefully before he decided to take it instead of the upgrade from the same line. The cashier poured compliment after compliment with only minor criticism of Dave's selection. He smirked, figuring he nabbed himself a winner. The same smirk was reflected on Dane's face; the older blond was down the way from his little brother. He found a weapons store that was oddly placed next to a magic store. He found a Black OPS/Swat tanto knife that had his name all over it. On top of that, there was a mercury blue stiletto switchblade he suddenly fancied. He bought the pair, and they were packaged up for him. The shop keep displayed the knives again, doing a quick demonstrate of their retracting power and of their blade designs. Dane couldn't be more sold to an object if he tried. They were packed away in new cases and placed in a black bag. He paid in cash and walked out moments later a happy owner of two new knives. He walked across the way to an American Apparel store, bought a couple of vintage button-ups and a hoodie before he left. Dave was walking out of the store as Dane made his way towards him.

"Sup? What'd you get?" Dave asked, looking at the massive white bag.

"A couple'a shirts and a hoodie for Sis."

Dave raised a brow. "Sis likes American Apparel?"

"Contrary to popular belief," Dane replied, shoving his shades up. "Now we gonna eat for real or what?"

"Hell yeah," Dave commented as they walked on towards the food court.

He paused and looked over towards a photo booth, elbowing his brother in the side.

"Check it out. They got one'a them booth things."

Dane started at it. "Wanna go inside?"

"It's not that Japanese one is it?"

"I don't think so."

"Cool, let's check it out."

Dane smirked as they walked towards the photo booth. "Afraid of the sparkles, kiddo?"

"Nah, cut it out," Dave replied as he climbed in.

"Desu, desu," the older blond joked.

"Quit it."

"Kira kira."

"Hey!" Dave raised the half-drape and looked to his brother. "Where'd you learn that word?"

"Bro."

"Of course."

"And Sis."

"Serious—ah, get in here."

Dane chuckled and set his bag on the floor. Dave did too. They spent a total of five minutes trying to figure out how to work the control panel before they looked up at the screen when the instructions came on.

"We're so stupid," Dane said through a chuckle.

"You're stupid," Dave mumbled, adjusting his shades.

When they were set up, they took pictures. The first two were monotonous: staring straight at the camera and then standing back to back. After, they had decided to get creative and ridiculous. One of the pictures involved Dave trying to climb on Dane's back, and the second, subsequently, was Dane almost falling over with him grabbing at the side of the photo booth. They stood up laughing and hovered over the control panel to write on their pictures. Apparently it _was_ one of 'those' booths—purikura—but it was amazingly bland on the outside and interior. How misleading. Dave decided to throw in his Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff style pictures on whatever he could before Dane snagged one up, writing short quips on each photo. Dave chuckled.

"We should make Christmas cards," he suggested.

"Yeah, and run Hallmark out of business."

Dave smirked. "Damn straight."

The photos processed and ran them about five dollars because they decided to take more. After a small book of twenty, they decided to leave. Dave shoved them in his Apple bag, and they made their way to the food court. It was a good day to be out with his bro. Yeah, just bros.


	7. Just Mad Pain

"I'm tellin' you. Dave was pretty freaked out yesterday. It's not like the kid. Minus all the puppet asses, he doesn't scare really easily."

"Yeah, I know," breathed a voice on the other side of the phone. "Dane's just been really antsy out here. I just thought he was going stir crazy. I didn't think it actually _meant_ anything."

"Has he been actin' hostile with you?"

"Not more than usual. Why?"  
>"Boy's got a smart mouth on him."<p>

A light-hearted laugh. "Well, he learned from me, but I get what you mean. Just take care of him. I'll see him when he gets home."

"Alright. Talk to you later, doll."

"Don't call me that," was Sis' final reply before she hung up the phone.

A fleeting smile came to Bro's face before he slipped the phone into his pocket. He turned back to the trunk of his Mazda and began unloading it. He took some boxes out and headed back into the club.

"Hey, we missed you. What were you doin' out there?" asked one of the tech workers.

"Pickin' up some ladies?" asked another from the floor.

"Yeah, your sister," Bro replied, holding a box on his shoulder and another under his right arm.

"Ooooh!" filled the club before everyone headed back to work.

"Where do I put these?" Bro asked no one in particular.

"Ask Amanda. She's up on the second floor. Just yell at 'er; she'll hear you."

"Roger that."

He stepped over the coil of cords and made his way towards the second-floor dance hall.

"Hey, Amanda!" Bro shouted as he strutted his way over.

The female smiled as she filed her nails, leaning against the railing. "Hey, handsome," her sweet, country voice rang out. "How's every little thing?"

"Crazy but good. Sup with you?"

"Good as gold. Put those over there, hun." She pointed towards the stairs with her filer.

He followed the direction and unloaded his carry-ons on the bottom step near a platform. He frowned and raised both brows as he stared at the violet drape.

"What's back here?"

"A new space opened up next door," Amanda explained. "They closed that shop last year and renovated it. We're just now getting' around to buyin' it out ourselves."

"Sounds busy."

"Yeah, but we're almost done, so come around sometime after it opens."

"Can do." He dusted his hands off and looked around. "Anything else you need me to do around here?"

"Nah, you can go ahead. Send my love to the kids."

"Hey!" Bro jumped over another cord and a box as he jogged his way upstairs.

Amanada watched him as he came up, brows raised in intrigue.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Somethin' strange came up yesterday, and I was wondering if you could give me a bit of advice."

"Sure thing, hun. You know I'm here to help you out."

"Yeah." He cupped his right fist with his left hand as he looked away. He bit his lip as he decided on how to formulate this. He decided to go for the punch. "If someone you love is a little...off their way, what can you do to help them?"

"What do you mean?" She furrowed her brows. "Is Dave in trouble?"

Bro chuckled. "No, no. Not him, no."

The female crossed her arms under her chest and frowned at him. "Well, I would keep a good eye on 'em, whoever it is. If push comes to shove, don't be afraid to help them out. Even if that involves police officials."

"What makes you think it'll get that serious?"

"I know you Striders, honey." She reached forward and up, grabbing his cheek. "You reek of trouble a mile away."

He chuckled and patted her hand. "Thanks, Amanda."

"But I'm serious, Edan. If you or Dave are in trouble, seek me out. I'll do what I can."

"I know you will. Thanks," Bro replied, jogging back down the stairs.

"You're welcome, honey. Come back soon!"

Bro raised his hand up, giving an OK symbol as he walked back towards the door. He walked outside and closed the trunk of his car, taking out his keys as he rounded the front. Bro grabbed the driver door with his left hand, looking over the top of the car to the open club doors. _"If you're ever in trouble, seek me out,"_ Amanda's voice repeated in his mind. He nodded his head, tightening his grip on the keys. "Yeah," he said aloud to himself. He climbed inside and revved up the engine. In no time at all, he was on the street and heading home.

"You wanna play this?" Dave asked as he raised up a video game for Dane to inspect.

"Nah."

"This?"  
>"Nah."<p>

"This?"

"Nah."

"Thi—who put Brokeback Mountain in SSX Tricky?"

"A prankster."

In that second, Dave jerked his head up and clenched the CD case.

"John," he muttered.

"Who?"

"Good one," Dave continued, not hearing his brother's statement at first. "Oh. Another bro."

"Oh. Oh. 'John'. Thought you said 'Dawn'."

"Who do I know named 'Dawn'?"

"I dunno. You could have a girlfriend."

Dave scoffed, closing the case again. "Yeah, right."

"Oh," Dane sounded grave. "I didn't know you were—"

"Shut up. It's not like that." With that, Dave hurled the game case at his twin, who dodged.

"Hey! It's a new age," Dane assured him from his leaned over position. "Totally no shame in being that way, bro."

"I'll kick your ass."

Dane laughed. "Chill. Chill."

Dave eventually found a game he figured they bought would like and sat up. He turned around suddenly and looked to Dane, giving him a curious look. The other male looked up and raised a brow.

"How long is it going to be this way?"

Dane shrugged. "However long you want it. You said you don't want to deal with it. Who am I to force you?"

"So you're still going to go along with your plans?"

"Why should I stop, just because you don't want to?"

"Dane—"

"Dave, stop. It's done. It's finished." Dane pointed out his index fingers, moving one clockwise and the other counter clockwise while shaking his head. "The wheels are already in motion. Clock's already set—tick tick." He let his hands rest in his lap as he tilted his head down, looking over his aviators to his brother. "Nothing you can do to stop it."

Dave worked the inside of his bottom lip between his teeth. He wanted to say something, but he could only thing of something harsh. He figured that would only agitate the situation, might end with another fist fight. His heart started racing again. Anger was settling in where frustration was starting to fester. The sad part is, he knew Dane was right. There was nothing he could do to stop it. Not really. Besides, Dane hadn't even done anything. Not yet.

"Just take one thing at a time," Dane said relaxingly. It was a gentle ruse. "It's gonna be okay. Now pop in that disc, bro. Let's get our game on."

Dave rolled his eyes, shaking off the feeling of being unnerved and Dane's nerd comment.

"Whatever, man. Save your zen for someone else," Dave retorted.

Someone else who would have believed it.

Dave popped in the game and grabbed a controller for himself and Dane. They played the racing game for a while and camaraderie set in once again. This time, Dave was perturbed by it. He didn't like the fluctuating good and bad moments with his brother. If this kept up...

He wasn't sure what he would do. Dane knew that Dave wouldn't be able to do anything for him. Not unless he was ready to do something extreme. Extreme like what? Report him to the police? Well, he could. Something like this could get him some serious jail time, right? Maybe he'd chill out a little. No, he wasn't going to throw his brother in the slammer. It was disheartening to think about the whole thing. Hell, it was even a little frightening. However, the one thing that Dave was surer than sure about was that he was becoming increasingly bored with Dane's behaviour. There was a lot of talk and no show. If anything, the guy was still being his usual pain in the ass self. It was a little comforting. Maybe he was just going through a phase. Upon realizing that, all of the skepticism and cynicism Dave knew and stoically loved flew right back into him. He went right back to not believing that Dane was a killer. He would be all right. It was just a phase—an odd one but a phase nonetheless.


	8. Thriller

"Forget what I said, he's just being weird."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Dave let out a deep breath, and Bro just looked over to him. They sat outside on the balcony, leaning against the glass door in their patio chairs. They had their feet kicked on top of the railing.

"You sure?" he asked again, brow raised.

"Positive, man. He could just be going through some sort of phase. Let's just be supportive and shit before he hurts people."

"What is he doing?"

"Nothin'."

"Talking about," Bro corrected, looking out towards the city.

"Homicide and shit."

Bro snapped his attention back over to his younger brother.

"He doesn't even have a plan. Just goin' on and on—"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Dude. _Chill._ He's not going to do anything."

"You keep saying that, and suddenly, I'm not so sure."

Dave scoffed. "Don't feed into it. He's just lookin' for attention—or he's cryin' out for help or something. I don't know; I'm not a damn psychiatrist."

"Then you shouldn't act like one."

"What? You're chastising me on this? He's the one who—"

"I heard what you said, and if that's true, he's in serious trouble."

"But he's not _doing_ anything. I don't think it's that serious."

"Were you dropped on your fuckin' head in the last ten seconds? It's a very bad thing."

"How so?" Dave crossed his arms defiantly over his chest.

"He's thinking about it; he's _planning_ it, and if he _is_ serious, he's going to start moving into action."

"How, when we're here to stop him?"

"Small things—he could buy weapons that suit his needs."

_In Dave's room, Dane removed the hoodie out of the bag, revealing the weapons shop bag laying on top of the two shirts he bought._

"Something small—light—hell, he could even use ordinary supplies and make something from that," Bro commented.

"So what, you want me to go raiding through his things to make sure he's not building a small army? Where's he even going to hide that stuff?"

"No, don't go through his shit. We're the ones that need to plan here." Bro sighed and brought his hands together. "He's one of us. He's crafty and he's smart by design."

_He slid the packages out of the black bag and set it down. He opened one of the boxes and took out his stiletto knife, observing the thin blade. He looked over towards Dave's desk and observed it for a second. Testing it out, Dane made a tentative slice on his left leg. It was a hairline cut, and it hurt like a bitch. A small, satisfied smile curved his lips, and he folded the blade, putting it away._

"We need to be careful with him," Dave sighed, biting down on his thumbnail.

"Yeah. Well, you can be Doctor Skeptic. I'm going to make sure he's okay."

"Don't go talk to him!" Dave said quickly.

"I'm not going to talk to him now, dip shit. Later. Just gonna take some time to think about it."

"Oh." Dave sank back against the seat.

"In the meantime, you're going to tell me everything he said."

"Yeah? Well, you won't believe it."

"Really? Try me."

Dave was quiet. He side glanced over towards Bro, who had his gaze trained on him now. The younger Strider closed his eyes and decided to do a great reveal of the whole thing. As he came to the middle of his story, he remembered something very important. He took his feet down and stood up hurriedly.

"Lalonde," he muttered to himself. "I'll be back. Stay right there," he said to the older blond.

"You okay?" Bro looked up, hands folded over his lap.

"Yeah. I just remembered something. I'll be back."

Bro watched as Dave opened and closed the sliding door, heading back into the dark apartment. He leaned his head forward and looked out to the city. He took out his phone from under his leg and pressed down on the quick key for Sis. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Azel."

"Yeah?"

"I got a story for you."

"Yeah? What happened?"

"A whole lot of shit you won't believe."

"Hey, man. I—whoa, what happened."

"Huh?" Dane looked down to his leg and laughed it off. "Man, your fuckin' desk caught me by surprise. I tripped over those fucking wires of yours and cut my leg on the edge."

Dave shook his head. "Don't go messing around my ace equipment."

"Clean your damn room."

"Nah, that's okay." Dave walked over and sat down in front of his desk.

He pulled up pesterchum. He heard Dane say he was going out and gave him a quick good-bye. Good. That was just what he needed.

– turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] –

TG: ey lalonde.

TG: you there

TG: need to talk to you

TG: yoohoo lalonde

TG: pick up the phone shit

TT: In a matter of seconds, you have managed to fill my screen with your incessant summoning.

TT: Since I am here, I can inform you that you should, as an interlocutor, give ample time to whom you are trying to beckon to answer your foremost question.

TG: duly noted i got a question for you

TT: Fire away, Strider. I am a target for your interrogation to be directed towards.

TG: my brother is acting strange

TG: not bro hes cool i mean dane

TT: Ah. Your twin is in town, is he?

TT: Send him my salutations.

TG: actually hes out right now so can we get to the point while i still have time

TT: Not like you to be rather pushy so soon in conversation. What's on your mind?

TT: I'll do whatever is in my power to accommodate and/or assist you.

TG: my bro is talking about murder and shit

TG: like hes not joking around or anything and saying im gonna kill you if you dont stop playin around

TG: hes talking legit this is going on the five o clock news murder

TT: When did this behaviour start?

TG: i cant say when it all started but hes been acting weird since he came in town

TG: right now hes fine though hes always fine really

TG: yesterday we got into a fight

TG: ufc fighters be jealous

TT: Hm.

TT: Your brother comes in, says some rather unusual things, starts fights, and still laughs it off as though everything were the same?

TG: yup

TT: Albeit it's a little sudden, I think your brother is showing signs of some serious psychological behavior.

TT: The worst part of it is now he's ostensibly acting as though he's part of the family. I wouldn't put it past him to act out very soon.

TG: how soon we talking

TT: Days, if not a week or two.

TT: Now I'm curious. You'll have to keep me posted on his development, Strider. I've never personally known an alleged serial killer or the sort.

TG: technically you still dont

TT: Very true but keep in touch.

TG: yeah i will

TT: Oh, and Strider?

TG: yeah

TT: Do be careful.

– tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] –

Dave let out a sigh and closed the chat. He reread the log over and over several times to see if he missed anything, but nothing came up. He deleted it before closing out of his pesterlog documents window. John was online and so was Jade. He decided to rally the two of them up in a chat for mindless shits and giggles. Just a little something to take his mind off everything. Jade sent a live feed video and showed them how big Bec had gotten in the past few years.

TG: how big is that devil beast gonna get

GG: he's not a devil dave!

GG: how many times do i have to keep telling you that?

TG: i just call em how i see em

GG: hehehe he looks really fluffy, jade. like a big pillow.

EB: bet he sheds everywhere.

GG: he sure does but its okay!

GG: its easier to clean on this side of the house

GG: oh speaking of which, let me show you! :)

Jade picked up her laptop, and Bec walked in front of her as she headed down the hallway. She switched to talking so she wouldn't have to type and walk. Dave noticed she had gotten prettier over the years, but what had he expected? He had seen pictures of John on reConnect/Friend Forum/whatever it was being called now, and he had to admit the bucktoothed wonder was really growing up too. He wondered how Rose was doing; he'd pester her again later. When Jade reached the room she was talking about, both boys were in awe. It looked like some Egyptian temple out of the movies. There was a square opening to the greenery outside, drapery, candelabras—Jade did some renovating. John asked about it, and she just laughed it off. Maybe there was an IKEA on her little strip of land.

John got off the line first, saying his dad was taking him out to eat, and Jade left, talking about a project that needed her attention. Dave sent her off and was suddenly alone again in his room. It felt fine, and he completely forgot he had company until he turned around and saw Dane's luggage sitting next to his turn tables. Dread came over him slowly, and goosebumps pricked over his skin. He didn't want to think about it. Instead, he walked over to his bed and laid on his face. The luggage seemed to be calling him. It was probably a good idea for him to find out if Dane actually was holding some weapons. He might find secrets to the Pentagon, some serious blackmailing documents with the secret service, what kind panties the Pro Tempore wore in secret. He groaned at his attempt at facetious humour. He rolled onto his side and drew a leg up. The door opened who knows however long later, and Dane walked in.

"Sorry, I'm late," he said, closing the door.

"Hey, man. It's no problem." Dave sat up. "I was just—"

He stopped talking when he saw blood on Dane's shirt. The other male stood there staring at him. From his nose to his chin, to his shirt to the top of his thighs, blood splattered his twin's front.

"Why are you covered in blood?" Dave asked quickly, voice devoid of any emotion.

Dane smiled very slowly. "I'm so glad you asked."


	9. Harm of Will

Dane made his slow way towards his brother. Dave just stared up at him. He was used to seeing blood; he got messed up a few times in his strifes with Bro, but this was different. Dane was a suspected murderer, and Dave was afraid that his thoughts about Dane being all talk was wrong. The silence was heavy and uncomfortable. Dave wasn't sure where to look, so he kept his shaded gaze on his twin brother. His heart was thudding in his ears. After what felt like too long, Dane laughed. He _laughed_. The noise was sudden and caused Dave to jump.

"I've never seen so many drunks before," Dane finally said, raking his fingers through his hair. He paused and looked at his hands. They were bloodied too; he had forgotten. "And I live in Vegas, so that's saying something."

"Shit, man. What the fuck happened to you?"

"I went out for a walk. I thought about getting a drink. Passed this one place that looked kind of," he flattened his hand in the air and moved it side to side, "shady. As I'm leaving, this guy just calls me out."

Dane swiped at his nose, frowning a little.

"'Hey!', he says," Dane continued. "'You lookin' at me'?" Dane shifted his weight, sides of his hands touching his chest before he moved them out again.

"Sounds like someone's been watchin' too many movies." Dave adjusted himself on the bed. He watched his brother warily behind his shades.

"You're telling me. So I ignore him, and this guy gets louder. Asking me if I'm deaf and to get over here. All that shit."

"What'd you do?"

"Couldn't do anything," Dane walked closer to Dave. "He just walked up behind me, and..."

He stretched his hand out towards his brother. Without thinking, Dave flash stepped over towards the door. The doorknob was turned in his hand, the door ajar. He stared at his twin, shoulders broad, posture stiff. He basically reacted without thinking. Dane looked over his shoulder and stood up slowly. They fell silent again. Dave's lips were pressed into a thin line.

"You could have dodged that punch," Dave almost whispered.

The smile was slow and unwelcome. Distress fell over Dave's body. His shoulders relaxed for a second before he straightened them again. They stood there, and Bro strolled by. He looked at Dave before glancing to Dane.

"Shit. What the fuck happened to you?" Bro asked, advancing towards the older twin.

"I got punched out near a bar."

"The hell were you doing at a bar?" He looked him over, tapping the younger male's nose to make sure it wasn't broken.

"_Near_ a bar, not _at_ one. I was taking a walk. Shit," he hissed as Bro ripped the shirt up and over his head. Dane's aviators came off, getting tangled in the bloodied polo.

"Take off your pants, get in the shower, and I'll fix you up later." Bro glanced over to Dave, whose lips were parted slightly.

The younger male wanted to say something, but instead he shook his head violently. Bro narrowed his eyes behind his shades and walked out. Dane looked back to his sibling; the smile was back. Dave could make out the mirth in those orange eyes.

"See? I can get away with murder if I want."

"No, you can't," Dave replied back firmly, evenly. He was proud of himself that he choked down fear.

Dane chuckled, undoing his pants as he walked out the room. "Oh, but I can."

Dane walked out of the room. Dave waited before flash stepping into Bro's room. The eldest Strider was looking for a stain remover, the one Sis had made up. Dave walked over and grabbed Bro, causing him to turn around. When Bro was facing him, Dave yanked off both of their shades and stared up at his older brother imploringly.

"Fix. Him." He demanded, putting deep emphasis on both words.

Bro just furrowed his brows.

"He just said he could get away with murder if he wanted to," Dave added but quickly, stringing his words along faster.

"So now you're a believer," Bro replied flatly.

"Yes! I've seen the fucking light. Halle-goddamn-juah. Now fix him."

"What do you want me to do?" Bro shrugged up both shoulders, shirt hanging over his left upraised hand.

"I don't know; fly Sis out here—something. He's really starting to freak me out. If he tries anything, I'm taking him down."

"Whoa, kid. Easy." Bro placed his hands on the younger male's shoulders, guiding him to the bed. "Just sit here. I'll be right back."

"Okay..."

Dave sat down and stared at the ground. Bro's room was as hectic and unclean like his, but it was chaos with purpose versus Dave's messiness for the sake of it. For once, being surrounded by puppet ass felt comforting. Dave sighed, letting his head fall into his hands. He wasn't built to withstand this. He stayed in his dejected position for a while. His body felt uncomfortable, and he started to get joint pains everywhere. His hands fell away from his head, landing heavily in his lap, and he fell asleep. He must have been tired, so tired, from all of this mess. He just never realized it. Dave was used to ignoring stressors. Bodies were overcomplicated things.

In his dream, he was _working on his turntables, pushing out beats as usual. He liked the track he was producing, so he decided to record it on his computer. For some reason, the software on his desktop wouldn't load or show up, so he went to Bro's room to use his laptop. Dave called out for him. A thud sounded behind him. Dave spun around and realized it came from the stairs. He looked around the apartment as he scoped the source and saw that everything was in order. For some reason, he felt that it was important he looked around. He reached the door and opened it. Nothing was there but a small darkened puddle on the floor. Both brows lifted before he turned his attention to the stairs. They led to the roof, and he wondered if there was anything up there. He climbed the steps all the while noticing that some of the same puddles trailed all the way upstairs. They were spotty at best and ranged in sizes._

_He came to the very top and pushed the door open. _"No."_ The single word came from someone else; it was breathed out as the sun absolutely blinded him. When he could see again, he was standing on the edge of the roof, his back facing the terrible plunge below. Dane was chuckling; his head was tipped forward and his shoulders were shaking._

_"You see," he said, stretching his arms out. His palms, wrists, and face were bloody. "I told you I could get away with murder."_

_Suddenly at the word 'murder', everything went black, and the sky turned deep violet and dark red. All of the buildings' windows were bright white, and even though Dane had his shades on, Dave could see that his eyes were bright white behind them. People appeared behind the older twin. Dave remembered seeing them before. Some of the people were from the park; there was one woman from the Starbucks, and a couple of people he didn't recognize were there too. Dane's taunting laughter rang deep in Dave's ears, surging straight through to the core._

_"I can always get away."_

_The older blond was suddenly behind Dave, hovering over the perilous drop. His lips were close to his brother's ear, a hand around the younger male's neck. After speaking, he smiled and pulled his hand away. His fingertips trailed over the front of Dave's neck. Dave started to bleed. He raised his hands up, looking down at them and realizing they were stained. Why was there so much blood? He tried to reason with himself that it was all just a badly done horror movie and that no one could bleed this much._

_"We can."_

_The haunting voice came from in front of him. Dave looked up wide-eyed towards the source and saw his siblings standing right across from him. Dane, Bro, Sis, all of them had their throats slit or at least Dane did. Bro and Sis' throats had been torn out. Dave suddenly felt nauseous. Dane smiled, and more liquid flowed from his mouth as he grinned. His mouth didn't move, but his laughter echoed in the air. Dave took a step back to get away. He forgot where he was standing._

_He started falling, and there was no one there to save him. He could see Dane and all of the other _victims_ staring down at him. Suddenly, without warning, Dane's white eyes were right in front of him. His brother's smile was wide in front of his face. The twin had fallen with him. And down they went on a descent to madness._

With a gasp, Dave jerked into a sitting position, and his heart was beating wildly in his chest. He raised his hand over his shirt and clenched the fabric. He stared wide eyed at the floor, trying to regain some sort of feeling. Bro walked in, rubbing the shirt against itself as he tried to get the stain out. He looked over to Dave. Seeing the younger male's panicked state, he walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder. Immediately, Dave stood up on the bed and hugged his older brother. He didn't care that there was a shirt crushed between their bodies. He was just glad the older male was alive. Dane walked in and stared at them. There was a towel draped around his shoulders, and his hair was matted to his face. Dave stared at his other half. He was glad that he remembered to keep his glasses on this time. He didn't want the other to see the blatant fear in his eyes.

But he was starting to think that Dane could practically smell it. He wasn't sure why, but he just couldn't believe anything else.


	10. Don't Blink

After that nightmare, Dave was more alert than ever. He didn't tell Bro about it, and he never found out if Bro ever talked to Dane. The odd thing was that Dane stopped talking about his plans. Dave couldn't help but be relieved. Unfortunately, the relief mingled in with suspicion so thick it was starting to make him sick. He was tired of being curious about it. Thankfully for a while, Dane's 'condition' didn't exist. Rose pestered him about it a few times, and Dave finally admitted that he didn't have anything to report.

TG: he just stopped talking about it

TT: Just like that? He ceased all commentary about his upcoming equalizing of humanity?

TG: jeez hes not ivan the terrible or some shit like that

TG: he just... stopped talking about it...

TT: Hm. That is rather curious. I'd like you to keep an eye on him.

TT: Also, it's good to see that you're keeping track in history.

TG: trust me its not on purpose

TG: i just retain information i dont even need

TT: I've noticed.

He threw her a bone and let her psychoanalyse his dream. To his surprise, she didn't have much to say, but her message was grave. A solo "Be careful" was thrown his way. Of course, he'd be careful. Why wouldn't he be, but Rose's message made him doubly so. A week and a few days passed by after his conversation with Rose. His nerves had managed to calm considerably during that time, and Dane's visit felt just like every other time he visited. Even though they still had a couple of months of summer left, Dane realised he had his fill and decided to go home. They made a plan to meet up in Vegas soon, and Dave could stay with them. Bro wanted to tag along too. Of course, what could they expect? He helped Dane pack and made fun of his twin for how much shit he carried. They had to buy a second luggage case for the new things Dane had bought.

"Maybe you can convince Bro to move into a new apartment—maybe a three bedroom?" Dane suggested as they shoved a bag into the trunk.

"Might as well buy a house," Bro replied, coming down the stairs towards the car. "I've thought about it though, but apartments fit us better."

"Yeah, just cut down on the crap," Dave agreed.

They shut the trunk. Dane snorted. "Not gonna happen."

Dave chuckled and patted his sibling on the back. Bro walked back to the car, swinging his keys on one finger and looking at his phone in his other hand.

"You kids ready?" he asked, looking up towards them as he came closer to the car.

"Yeah," they echoed, opening the back seat door.

"We gotta pick up a friend, and we'll be out."

"Alright."

Bro's selection of music this time went back to some old school, Boys II Men sounding group, and Dave would have suggested Bro change it if he wasn't silently grooving to it. They drove down for about twenty minutes and turned into a nice neighbourhood, and picked up a bronze haired woman. She climbed in excitedly and turned around, looking to the twins.

"Hey, Dave."

"'ey, Amanda."

She looked over to the other blond. "Aah, and who's this?"

"My twin brother, Dane."

"Ah!" She looked to Bro, fastening herself in. "You never told me there was another one."

He smirked. "I thought you said you knew us Striders."

She wagged her finger at him, trying to suppress a smile. Dave stopped paying attention to their conversation after he found out Amanda needed a lift to the auto repair. Dane reached over and nudged his brother gently with his elbow. Dave turned his attention towards him.

"Girlfriend, suddenly?"

"Nah." Dave laughed out, finding it absurd. "Family friend."

"No, I meant," Dane did a small Z-formation snap, trying not to draw attention to himself. "Girlfriend."

Dave snorted and looked away, shaking his head as he laughed. "Yeah, something like that."

"You alright back there?" Bro glanced up into the rear view mirror, wondering what was causing the laughter.

"Yeah, it's just Dane being..." Dave trailed off, laughing and shaking his head, "Dane."

Bro focused back on the road, and the twins went back to their conversation. They dropped off Amanda at the shop, but she ended up coming back, telling Bro that it would take another hour for them to fix her bike.

"Bike?" The twins perked up.

"She rides a motorcycle," Bro replied, looking quickly over his shoulder before looking out the driver window.

"Yeah, but since when?" Dave asked.

"February."

"What?"

"Why? You interested in riding?"

"No," Dave mumbled. It was actually interesting because he didn't picture Amanda for being a biker sort of gal. She wasn't delicate—she was actually rough and tumble. The idea of her riding a motorcycle was still... _different_.

"I'll let 'er know you want to hang around one day."

Dave sank back, adjust his glasses. "Cool."

Dane chuckled but mostly stayed out of the conversation since he didn't know the woman. She came back and jumped into the passenger seat. They headed down the road on I-45 towards the airport, and unpacking the car seemed to be less of a big deal with four people. Amanda whistled.

"Check in's gonna be a pig," she said as they wheeled inside.

"Not while I'm around," Dane reasoned.

"You can't bribe 'em, you know," Bro said, following close behind.

"Money fixes everything."

Dave rolled his eyes. "You've been in Vegas too long."

Dane shrugged up a shoulder and smiled on the left side. "Maybe."

Check-in was easy, but waiting around was hell. It was almost thirty minutes before Dane's flight was called. Amanda lingered behind as Bro and Dane said their good-byes. Dave walked his brother to the terminal.

"You getting' on Skype tonight?" Dane asked.

Dave nodded.

Dane nodded too. "Cool."

"Tell Sis I said 'hey'."

"I'll tell 'er."

Dave stopped walking. "Hey, bro."

Dane turned around and looked back to his younger brother.

"You feeling okay?"

Dane took in a deep breath and started to nod. He looked away and around the airport, looking at everything.

"I feel better," the older twin said. "I think I just needed to clear my head for a while."

"It's from being under Vegas stress." Dave half-smiled weakly.

"Yeah, probably." Dane chuckled and nodded his head again. "I know what I need to do now. I feel more at peace or something like that."

"Somethin' like that." Dave raised his fist. They fist bumped and then hugged. "Take care of yourself."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll give you a call tomorrow or tonight."

"Alright."

They raised a hand as Dane walked into his gate, heading onto his plane. Dave watched for a while before walking back to the two adults. The trio left when the plane took off. The trip back to the mechanics was goofy by Amanda's shenanigans, but Bro's one-liners did nothing but enable her. Dave thought they were a good duo. They dropped the brunette off one last time and followed her off after she picked up her bike. As she made her turn into her complex, Dave watched, entranced. She looked really good on it.

"It's a '97 Goldwing," Bro began. "I'm amazed it's in such good condition."

"How long've you known Amanda?"

Bro shrugged. "Couple of years."

"Huh." Dave sank back against the front passenger seat. "Feels longer."

"I know."

Bro paralleled parked in front of their apartment, and the two got out. When he was close enough, the older blond placed a hand on the younger male's back.

"Everything okay?"

"Dane looked like he was okay when he got on the plane."

"I meant you."

Dave shrugged. "I'll tough it out."

"Yeah."

Bro drew him close in a one arm embrace. He placed his chin on his younger brother's head. Pulling away, they continued up the stairs towards the lobby. Bro went on about how he went grocery shopping but expected Dave to take it up in the near future. Dave didn't make any promises. After the elevator ride, they entered their little home, and Dave made a beeline for his turntables. Being scared stiff lately had given him an idea for a few beats.

Feeling the bass pump through the speakers of his headphones and the vinyl of the records underneath his fingertips, Dave was at peace. He was surprised this was all it took and felt stupid for not resorting to it sooner. That moment of self-berating vanished as he looped in the electro. He raised up his right shoulder, holding his headphone against his ear, and reached over to adjust the volume level of the left record. The track was going out nicely; he felt like he should record it. When the thought came to him, he froze. Small cinematic snippets flitted through his mind and cut into his mental security. He felt paranoid suddenly as he looked over to his computer. He scoffed at himself, but his smiled was weak and shaky.

He turned his head towards the door, eyes still focused on the computer.

"Hey, Bro!" He waited and didn't hear a response. "Bro!"

"Yeah?" The older male shouted from somewhere in the apartment. It didn't sound like he was in his room.

Dave shook his head. "Never mind!"

He tipped his head downward, both hands sliding back and forth over the vinyls. He'd record the track later. Maybe. He didn't feel like being bothered with it right now. He began turning his equipment off and putting away the vinyls when he heard his Skype go off. Dave hurriedly put down his records and walked to his desktop. He accepted the call and held up a finger while he looked for the microphone. Something interesting caught his eye and he looked back to the screen.

_ Where did you get that knife?_ He typed, looking away and looking for his microphone again.

"I bought it," Dane replied over the computer. "When we went to the mall. I sent it to myself because I can't take it on the plane."

"That should have taken a couple of days."

"I sent it before I left, of course. That weekend while we were all being busy, I found a post office and made myself useful."

"Oh..."

Dane was talking weird. Dave didn't say anything about it. He placed his microphone back beside his monitor and began cleaning up the space. He found a stray shopping bag and began throwing things inside.

"What kind did you get?" Dave asked, curious about the weaponry.

"This one—it's pretty slender." Dane showed off the stiletto switchblade and its smooth handle. He folded it before picking up a thicker one, showing off the intricate handle. "This one is a Black OPS sort of dealie. I like it."

"Me too." Dave nodded in agreement. "The other one's nice too."

"Yeah, it cuts pretty well." Dane looked away, somewhere off screen and fell silently for a few seconds. "Hold on for a minute."

"Mhm." Dave was preoccupied with clearing space on his desk.

He shifted through old papers and lyrics. He could let those go now. Standing up, he wondered what else was lying around that he could throw away or recycle. Yeah, even the Striders cared about the environment sometimes. There were small scraps of paper and napkins on the floor, and Dave was starting to find it ridiculous. So his room was a little _too_ junky. He picked up a receipt and began to throw it away before he realized there was writing on it. Curiosity took over before common sense, and he read it, trying to figure out if it was his.

It was the one Dane had written on during their trip to Starbucks. There was something about visiting a building on the ninth, and some street name. It didn't seem familiar to him. It was the twenty-third now. Dane wasn't planning to coming back soon. Bro and Dave were planning on going over _there_. Dismissing it, Dave crumbled the paper in his hand and kept looking for other papers. If he tripped over more of Dane's "notes", that wouldn't be too bad either. He almost threw the receipt away, but he held onto it. It might be important later.

Hearing Dane's voice made him turn around, and he tossed the receipt onto the bed. He set the bag set on the floor under his desk. The twins continued their conversation. Not about anything in particular, of course. Dane lit a cigarette and leaned back in his seat turned to Dave's left. The older twin was examining the thin bladed weapon again. The blade was pressed against his fingertip as he twisted it slowly. He pulled away when he felt himself bleed. Dave laughed and called him a moron. Dane picked up a dark shirt that was draped across his lap and wiped off his finger nonchalantly. The smile drained from Dave's face. That shit was Sis'.

And it was stained.


	11. Always

Dane perked up his head and looked to Dave. He could tell that his brother was still. Dave pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes behind his shades.

"Something wrong, kid?"

"What'd you do with Sis?" Dave asked dryly.

Dane looked to the shirt and then back up to his brother. "Nothing." His tone was too even.

"Where is she then?"

Dane pointed his thumb over his shoulder weakly. He let out a sigh as though this was all bothersome. Dave waited, quietly but not patiently.

"She's at work, somewhere."

_"'Somewhere',"_ Dave repeated, disbelief thick in his voice.

"What, you don't believe me?" Dane responded, brow cocking up defiantly.

Dave leaned forward, setting his right elbow on his desktop. "Can't say I do, friend."

Dane scoffed and continued to clean his knife. "I can't believe this."

"Call her," Dave said with an idle movement of his hand.

"What." Dane looked up to Dave, who tipped his head up as well.

_"Call her,"_ he repeated, tone more pointed and demanding.

Dane smoothed his hands together, the fabric of Sis' shirt crushed between them. Dave frowned, _deeply_. Dane was playing games, and he wasn't in the mood.

"Just call her, Dane," he stated lowly."Just call her, and I'll be alright."

"Yeah," Dane agreed. "I'll call her."

But he didn't really agree. He knew about his brother's suspicions, but he didn't care that he was making it worse. He hadn't really intended for Dave to notice her shirt. It was habit by now. He could have fucked his plan up fatally, but he didn't. He pulled up his phone and turned on the speaker. The dial tone rang twice, and Sis picked up. Her "Hello?" was almost singsong. She sounded like she was having a good day. Maybe because she was alive.

"Dave wanted to say hi," Dane lied.

"Hey, Davey," Sis said through a laugh.

"Also, I need you to pick something up for me."

"Just text it, and I'll get it later."

"Alright."

Dane ended the phone call without a word. His gaze was trained on his sibling. Dave relaxed back into his chair and let out a sigh.

"Are you happy?" Dane asked, going back to his busywork.

"Why do you have Sis' shirt?" Dave questioned back, looking up at his ceiling.

Dane shrugged. "I just grabbed it from the floor. No worries."

"Why's your knife all bloody?"  
>"Look," Dane placed the items down out of view. Dave sat up and looked at the screen. "I didn't call you to play an investigative game of twenty questions."<p>

"Then you had better start giving me some answers. And I mean good ones, not that vague shit you try to pull."

"You mean, what we all pull?" Dane snapped, brows twitching together in irritation. "Look if this is what you're going to pull when _you_ visit, it's best you don't come."

"Look, I'm just _fucking worried_ about what it is you're doing over there. That city's poisoning your brain."

"Oh, because Houston's much better." Dane shifted to one side. He probably rolled his eyes. Dave couldn't tell, but he had a hunch.

"Yeah, it is. Bro raised me just fine over here. I ain't blaming Sis, but something went wrong over there."

"Yeah, something went wrong," Dane muttered to himself. He looked down and away, somewhere off camera. There was a pause, and he rubbed his lips together. "That's the issue right there. It all starts with them right."

"What?" Dave pushed his brows together, not following what his twin was talking about.

"I guess that's where it ends, right there."

The call ended, and Dane went offline. Or at least set himself to busy, which was almost the same thing with him. Dave stared at the call status for a few minutes before he pushed up out of his seat. Was Dane talking about... murdering Bro and Sis? No, that couldn't be. He took a few steps forward, but he felt woozy. It was almost as though he wasn't there at all. Like he was trying to defy gravity and walk normally at the same time. His stomach was flipping. He could be gone any minute. He opened the door and leaned against the frame. He had a hand on his arm. It felt like he was wounded, almost like he was shot. He was about to succumb to shock. Oh, no. He already had. The world was hard to live in. Maybe he was being overdramatic, but that was keeping him aware, conscious.

Dane was planning to kill them.

He didn't know how long he had been standing, but his legs were starting to go weak. Keys jingled and the door opened not too long after. Bro entered the apartment. He walked into the kitchen and came back a few minutes after. He looked towards Dave, slowing his steps. "You alright, kid?" passed through his ears but didn't stick anywhere. Even though Dave nodded, he said, "No", and made his way over to Bro.

He grabbed him by the shirt. "We need to talk."

"Alright, be cool, man."

"Now."

Bro nodded and placed a hand on Dave's shoulder. He couldn't explain why, but he was weak. He was light-headed all of a sudden. Shock had taken over. Shock and fear. He looked up at his brother and realised he was going to lose him. That was unless he did something soon. Right now he was useless. Bro shouted his name, and it cut right through him. But it didn't stop him from losing consciousness.


	12. When You Go

_It was his room and Dane's room connected. There was a white space where the edge of the ripped rooms were. Dane sat in his chair while Dave stood up. He stared down at his older brother. For once, he felt like the one in charge, but it wasn't a good feeling. He was the one taking charge over both of them—life or death in a way he couldn't imagine happening to them._

_ "This is sick," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "This is harshing Strider vibes, and you... don't care."_

_ "I'm not one for appearances," Dane stated. He sounded tired. His tone made him much older than he was supposed to be. A sigh. "I just want this all to end."_

_ "Want _what_ to end? Nothing's going on." Dave dropped down to one knee. He pressed his hands together. Before he knew it, he was right in front of his older half, hands on Dane's knee. "Dane. What are you talking about?"_

_ "You just don't see it."_

_ "See what?" He chocked. His head tilted back as Dane's hand tightened around his throat._

_The white aviators were gone from his brother's face, and he could see his eyes clearly. His own shades must have been gone too. He could see all the fatigue written on his brother's face, but that didn't soften the fact that he was choking him._

_ "I'm sorry, baby brother," came the apologetic voice._

_And it would have been genuine if Dave didn't see something in Dane's eyes. That glimmer or spark that said he was enjoying this. He was watching the life being drained out of his younger half's eyes. For a moment, Dave could feel what Dane could. And it was good._


	13. Careless Whispers

The sun was completely down when he woke up. The sound of cars were sparse in the distance. The air tasted fresher. When he opened his eyes, he could see the stars. He was outside. Bro was staring off into space, gazing at the illuminated rooftops. Dave stirred, and Bro looked down to his younger sibling. The younger blond reached up; Bro grabbed his hand.

"You're alive," Dave croaked out.

"What do you mean."

"Dane, he's..." Dave shook his head. "It's not safe." Bro leaned down as Dave took his hand away, rubbing at his face. "I think Sis is in trouble. We need to get down there."

"We can book a plane."

Dave sat up. Bro didn't try to stop him. "No we need to take something with us."

"Like protection?"

"Yeah."

"So we're driving."

"Yeah."

Bro stood up slowly with a groan. "I'll go give doll a call."

"Be careful."

A scoff. "With what, picking up the phone?" 

Dave didn't raise to the bait. Instead, he looked away towards the railing. Bro frowned slightly. He disappeared from sight to go call their sister. Dave leaned his head against his hand and let out a deep sigh.

Bro slid his fingers over his hip nervously. He didn't know what was going on, and the fact that Dane was in his house and he still didn't pick up on anything, well, that just made matters worse. He just wasn't entertaining the idea past what Dave told him, and besides, Dane acted okay when they were all together. He went around the twins' room when they went out, but he didn't find anything out of order. He couldn't bring himself to go rifling through Dane's things, no matter how suspicious Dave was. That felt like a betrayal of trust and like he was slacking on his end. That was unacceptable. He had to stand tall now.

He plucked his cell phone from the end table and speed dialed Sis. She didn't pick up the first time. He didn't leave a message. He waited a second and then called her again. There was a blip on his line, and he had another call. It was her calling him. Slightly amused, he took her call.

"Sexy Pizza and Barbecue. If it ain't sexy, we ain't got it," Bro answered.

Sis laughed gently on the other side. "What's going on, handsome?"

Bro sighed, reaching up and scratching the back of his head. "Azel, we got a problem."

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

"First," Bro dropped his hand and lifted it in front of him. "Where are you?"

"On my way home from work."

"Stop for a minute. I need to talk to you."

"Wait a minute; give me a second."

"Sure."

He heard the car engine and the wheels crunching over gravel. Sis shifted the car into gear. Her keys jingled. She sighed into the phone.

"Alright. I'm here."

"Where's 'here'?" Bro asked.

"Not... home." She laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm a little out of my head."

"You sound it."

"Anyway, we're not here for that. What's going on?"

"Dave thinks you're in trouble."

"What? Why?"

"Because of Dane."

"He hasn't said anything to me, and I mean like," she sighed, "since he came home, he seems pretty normal."

"'Seems' is a broad thing, sis. You've gotta look out for yourself."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm careful."

"Good. We'll be up there tomorrow."

"What, are you sure?"

"We've got no choice."

"Well at least you called me. Dane's not going into work tomorrow. If you can wait until the next day..."

"I can't chance it."

She sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll see what I can do. Might be able to get his boss in on it."

"Don't get yourself in trouble."

"Don't worry. He likes me. Besides, Vegas is good on secrets." There was a _tink_ sort of noise and some shuffle. "Guess I won't make it home yet."

"Got off early?"

"Got off early," Sis repeated with a sigh. "Just this once. Guess I'll be getting home at the same time though."

"Just be careful."

"You too."

She hung up the phone, and he sighed, watching as his screen went back to home. He waited a little before dialing a new number. He looked up to his door but didn't see Dave coming. The poor kid must have been outside.

"H, hello?" came the tired female voice.

"Hey. It's me."

"Oh." Her voice trailed off. "Oh, oh, oh. Hey, Edan!"

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No. I'm sorry; just slaving away over these floor plans. What can I do for you, sug?"

"I need you to look after the house."

"Oh, going out somewhere?"  
>"Hm. Kind of. I'm going to leave some documents with you, just in case I don't—"<p>

"Edan." Amanda's voice became stern. "Tell me what's going on, honey."

"I can't say right now. I'm not really sure myself. When you come over tomorrow, I'll have the key and everything for you."

"Are you sure about this?"

He paused, only to give her a laugh. "I'm sure."

He hung up after a simply good-bye. Really, he wasn't too sold on anything, but he couldn't risk his stuff being left behind without anyone to tend to it. Just in case, anyway. He walked out to the balcony and stood next to Dave, putting his hands on his hips.

"We're going to have to start packing soon."

"Yeah," Dave agreed.

"I'm going to go to sleep for a bit, and then I'll be up. It's a long ass drive ahead."

"Yeah."

Bro looked down to the other blond. "You're going to have to learn to drive soon."

"You're really bringing that up _now_?"

Bro chuckled. "Sure, why not? Once I set you on the road, you're fine. You could do it all on the highway."

"You sure?"

"Hey," Bro shrugged. "Why not."

Dave looked up to the older male as he left. He remained quiet and looked away. He stood up a few minutes later, hunger rolling through his body. He appeared in the kitchen, rifling around for something to eat. His instincts prepared him for the sword traps, even though his mind and body were already distracted. When he landed, he peered inside and saw that the fridge was actually stocked with food. For some reason, that made him feel a little sick. He closed the door and walked away, leaving the swords on the floor. He would come back for it later before they want on the road. Right now, he lost his appetite. He would just go ahead and get packed.

They shoved a couple of swords into their duffle bags. Bro stacked all the papers in an envelope. He put the envelope on the kitchen table and slide the key into his pocket. Dave collected his charger, gloves, mp3, and other small things he would need, just to keep him sane. They packed another luggage bag full of clothes and head out. Bro locked and dead-bolted the front door. He took out his phone and called Amanda. By the time they hit the lobby, Bro was off the phone and opening the trunk.

Dave thought to ask "What did she say?", but he already heard half the conversation. Her voice pitched up only slightly, and for as long as he knew her, Amanda wasn't a hysterical woman. She was just concerned, and for all that she knew, she had every reason to be. Every reason. They pulled up in front of her house, and she was waiting in front of her door underneath the awning. Bro got out but left the car running. Dave watched as he approached her, looking like a soldier telling a wife that her husband fell in combat. He was humble, nervous maybe. That wasn't like Bro, but in this situation, Dave could let it slide. Hell, he felt the same way, and seeing Bro act a little human made him scared, apprehensive, of the future. In just twelve hours, they would be on their way to their second home. And more.

Amanda threw her arms around Bro's neck, and he placed his hands on her waist slowly. They were talking. Dave could see her arms twitch around his neck for emphasis. Bro nodded his head, his arms sliding around her in reassurance. It was a tender moment, but they were torn lovers. She wasn't given a heartfelt, sobbing good-bye. She was a friend, almost a caretaker, worried about people she's invested two years in. Dave scoffed, looking away. It felt longer.

The driver side door opened; the older male clambered in. Dave turned his attention to the other blond and pulled at Bro's shirt with two fingers.

"Looks like you got some tears on ya."

"Yeah," Bro agreed emptily. "I guess I did."

He lifted his hand and grabbed the gear shift. He looked over to Amanda who stared in their direction. He nodded his head and adjusted the shift into reverse. They backed out of her driveway and drove off. Amanda watched but didn't wave. She was holding herself together in her own arms. Dave couldn't leave it like that though. Even though he wasn't sure she could see, he lifted his hand and waved good-bye.


End file.
